Stay
by JadedRen
Summary: A quick plot bunny of Naruto and Hinata's growing friendship, and more, after the battle with Pain. How does a near tragic event affect this budding relationship? I'm pretending none of the fourth shinobi war has occured. This short story is now complete. Yay my first completed story.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone, this is a slight plot bunny that just wouldn't leave my mind so I had to get it out. I apologize for any grammar errors I wrote this quickly, my reviewer/editor Roamer79 is at work and I don't feel like waiting till tomorrow afternoon to get this posted.**

**I hope you all like it, it's only my second fiction and this more of a short story than a fic on the same level as my first one Out of the Dark. Constructive criticism is always welcomed and appreciated. **

**~ Oct. 17, 2012~ I felt the need to add a little note about this story. You may not believe it (or maybe you will) this was a songfic, inspired by the song "Stay a While" by Ryan Star. It's an awesome song and one night while listening to it images of the story just started flowing through my head and I had to write it all out. Personally, I think this is how songfics should be done, not with the lyrics interjected into a story. Instead I think it should be a story inspired by the lyrics but not using them to bulk up the word count. I'm grateful for everyone who gives this story a read and reviews, follows or favs it. Thank you.**

* * *

They'd begun spending a large amount of time together after the battle with Pain, typically on missions. The reconstruction of the village had forced them to work together on various projects as well. At first she'd been nervous over being around him after confessing her feelings, terrified he'd reject her. Instead it appeared he chose to ignore her confession altogether, acting as though it hadn't happened and nothing had changed between them. It had broken her heart but she was willing to put on a smile to hide the ache in her chest as long as she could be his friend. A tough decision for her to make but she chose to be his friend rather than have no part in his life. She'd failed to notice that it was his choice to be around her more and more after missions or when they took breaks from assisting in the reconstruction.

* * *

Sitting near the waterfall where he'd conducted training with Kakashi and Yamato, he gazed over to the girl sitting next to him. It'd been a long day full of hard work and while the areas of the village that hadn't been reconstructed yet could be disheartening, there was always hope when one looked to the newly finished buildings. He hadn't forgotten her confession of love; he simply didn't know how to respond to it. Naruto was used to Sakura's reactions towards his declarations and attempts at affection. For a girl to stand up for him, defend him, claim she loved him and nearly die for him it was something he had no idea what to do with.

He'd never considered she could have feelings for him and now that he knew, it astounded him that someone as kind as her could feel so strongly for him. He'd always found her to be pretty but lately as he spent more time around her, he realized she was truly a beautiful person inside and out.

Hinata stood and began to dust off her clothes, "Na-Naruto-kun, I should be going it's getting late and there's still much to be done tomorrow."

Naruto smiled slightly her stutter was so cute to him now and it had begun to disappear as they spent more time together, though every so often he would catch her stuttering. He wasn't quite ready to say good night to her, he truly enjoyed being around her. There was something about Hinata that simultaneously calmed and intrigued him.

"Stay."

Hinata's eyes widened as her cheeks flushed a pretty pink to match the color of the sky as the sun began its decent. "Wh-what?"

He cleared his throat, feeling a bit awkward and hoping he too wasn't blushing, he rubbed the back of his head. "A while. Stay a while, please."

"Um, okay," she smiled slightly before sitting back down.

He found himself confused, unsure why he'd asked her to stay. He had no idea what to do now that she had resumed sitting next to him with her back against the tree and her knees drawn up to her chest. He struggled within his mind to think of something to say, although he admitted the quiet comfort of just sitting next to her was nice.

Hinata asked him about his training trying to find a common ground they could discuss and his enthusiasm for the subject was evident. He told her of the trials of learning how to be a toad sage, which led to him discussing the loss of Jiraiya. She stayed mostly silent simply listening allowing him to express what was on his mind and in his heart. She was secretly thrilled that he felt comfortable enough to discuss such personal issues with her.

Neither of them seemed to notice the setting sun or the heat of the day turning to a slight chill as the sun vanished. The only sign given towards the change was Hinata scooting closer to Naruto subconsciously as she began to feel cold. Every time she mentioned returning to her clan's camp, he would ask her, "Stay a while more." Unable to deny him she would do just as he asked, despite becoming increasingly tired.

Naruto had been quiet for a while just looking at the stars unaware of how late it was, when Hinata's head fell onto his shoulder. His eyes bulged slightly in surprise as he felt his face heat as he gazed down at her. She was asleep, her breathing steady and her lips slightly parted. Gazing at her he felt an emotion stirring in his chest but couldn't find the words to describe exactly what it was. He didn't think she appeared comfortable so he reached out and gently pulled her closer as she curled into his side with her arms tucked close to her chest against him.

He was unsure of what else to do, but he knew he didn't want to disturb the sleeping angel that was Hinata. He heard shouts in the distance of her name and knew their time together was over for the night as he assumed her clan had begun to search for her. Pulling her into his arms he stood and carried her back towards the camp her clan had set up.

Hinata jerked awake to see sunlight streaming into her tent. _How did I get back? Was I so tired last night I don't even remember saying goodnight to Naruto or making the trek back to camp?_ She found that she hadn't changed into her bedclothes though she no longer wore her jacket or sandals. Shrugging she stood to wash up before getting dressed again. As she was zipping up her jacket her little sister Hanabi entered the tent.

"It's about time you woke up sleepy head. You were out so late last night I thought you'd sleep till the sun went down again," Hanabi chuckled as she picked on her sister.

Gazing down Hinata felt embarrassed for oversleeping, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to oversleep."

"It's alright, you didn't sleep too long. You must've been really tired Naruto had to carry you back to camp last night, he said you fell asleep after working late on a reconstruction project."

Hinata's face turned bright pink, "H-he carried me back?"

Hanabi simply nodded in answer, before turning to leave the tent unaware of the turmoil she'd caused within her older sister.

Hinata's heart was racing and her face was heating in her embarrassment over falling asleep while talking to Naruto. _I'm such an idiot, oh he'll never want to just sit and talk to me now. He'll think I found him boring and that's why I fell asleep. _Hinata worried over this as she went about her chores within the camp, eventually allowing the daily routine to distract her from her worries.

As she left the camp to see what projects may need her assistance she halted as she saw a smiling Naruto running towards her.

"Hey Hinata, hope you're well rested we've been given a mission to Sunagakure for some more supplies. You should get your stuff so we can head out."

She was taken aback but quickly grasped onto the important detail that they had a mission. "Okay, give me just a minute."

Two years later

The reconstruction of Konohagakure was nearly complete and Naruto sat in his new apartment thinking over the last two years. Today was the anniversary of Pain's attack upon the village and he sat thinking over everything that had occurred that day two years ago including the confession of love from his best friend. He smiled thinking of her and how close they'd grown in the last two years. They were nearly inseparable as all of their free time was spent in the company of one another. He told her everything and though he felt she held some things back from him, he knew more about her than anyone else in the village.

He enjoyed being around her so much that he always asked her to stay a while when she knew it was nearing the time for her to leave. She would laugh at his request and acquiesce a little longer; sometimes she would fall asleep as she'd done that first night. It was these times that he absolutely loved, for he could hold her without guarding his emotions from her too observant nature.

He knew even without her admitting it that his refusal to acknowledge her confession two years ago had hurt her greatly. So now he hid his own strong emotions for her, determined to maintain their friendship for he truly felt that was all they could ever have after his neglect of her emotions before.

He sat upon his bed pondering all of this when he heard a tap on his window and smiled, Hinata had arrived. Rising he pushed open the window to allow her entry, he was surprised to see her carrying a travel pack. She'd only just returned from a mission the day before.

"Naruto, Tsunade-sama wishes to see us in her office in twenty minutes we have a mission."

* * *

Nothing about this mission had gone right. They'd been misinformed that they would be dealing with a group of bandits. Instead they were facing off against a group of missing-nin from various nations who had managed to separate Naruto, Hinata and Shino in an attempt to divide and conquer.

Naruto was easily plowing through the ones attacking him and was about to turn to assist his team when he heard a pain filled scream from Hinata. He quickly finished the last of his attackers to turn and find Hinata on the ground laying curled on her side. Rushing to her he rolled her to her back horrified at the sight of a large, gaping wound in her stomach. He was oblivious to their surroundings as he looked into Hinata's terror and pain filled eyes. Her face had gone pale and her breath came in short pants. He ripped off his jacket to cover her wound and attempted to reassure her with a half-hearted smile as tears filled his eyes.

"It's not that bad Hinata, we're going to get you patched up in no time. Hey, what do you want to eat when we get back to the village ramen or barbecue?" He was willing to babble on about anything at that moment just to keep her attention on him and not on the pain he knew she was feeling. He hoped that Shino was able to handle the rest of the missing-nin because he would not be leaving her side.

Blood began to come out of her mouth with each pant and she tried to say his name as she reached for his arm. "Hinata its okay," he continued to babble but as he saw the light in her eyes begin to dim he felt his heart stop. "No, No Hinata!"

His hands stopped applying pressure to her abdomen to grip both sides of her face and give a slight shake. "Hey, hey look at me."

When her eyes met his he smiled, "Stay a while, okay? Just stay a while longer."

But her eyes closed.

* * *

**Okay I'm going to go run and hide from those who are going to threaten my life now, *ducking and covering* please no flames. **


	2. Chapter 2

**I apologize for taking so long to get this second part done and posted. I've been consumed with helping Roamer79 edit his two stories as well as working on my other story. Thank you for the reviews, favs, and follows on this story. To those who threatened bodily harm for the way I ended the first half I hope this part makes up for it. Also, I've written my very first lemon scene in this update so please no flames, constructive criticism to help me improve only please. **

**Without further ado, I hope you all enjoy the second half and end of the story Stay.**

* * *

But her eyes closed..and Naruto swore he could feel his heart break as rage began to burn bright inside of him. He was not ready to let this young woman who held his heart leave him. Unaware of the environment surrounding him and Hinata or the fact that red chakra was leaking from every pore of his body to culminate within his hands. He cradled her face as he felt something warm and wet flow from his eyes, he thought perhaps he had been wounded until he saw the tears splash onto her cheeks. His touch was gentle as he began to will her to take another breath, to open her eyes and smile at him.

He'd asked her to stay a while because he knew she could never deny him that one request and he wanted to see the small smile she always gave him when he'd say it. Perhaps that was why he was turning it into a mantra as he held her head and willed her to live. His eyes never left her face watching her eyes for any sign of movement indicative of opening again. He did not see the red chakra bubbling around his hands begin to flow into Hinata, he only noticed when her eyes slowly opened and her upper body rose with a much needed breath.

The tears poured freely down his face as he smiled with a near hysterical laugh, which may have been more of a sob, as those pale lavender tinged eyes landed upon him. He saw the fear and uncertainty in her eyes, he knew she was far from being okay but at least she was alive. He didn't know what had brought her back to him but he thanked whatever entity or higher power that had just granted his greatest prayer.

"You're going to be okay Hinata, okay?"

Her breathing was still labored but as long as she was breathing he was happy. Looking up he was amazed to see the group of missing-nin all out of commission, but the most surprising was that standing over them was not only Shino but also Kiba and Sai. He felt an enormous amount of relief when he saw a certain pink-haired, medic-nin rapidly approaching.

Sakura collapsed to her knees beside Hinata, she was shocked at the amount of blood soaking Naruto's coat that had been used in a futile attempt to staunch the flow of blood. She saw that Hinata's eyes were open and she was able to breath, she didn't want to think about the amount of pain her friend must be in judging by the amount of blood nor did she wish to lift the jacket to see the extent of the damage. Lifting the bandage could cause more damage to the wound as it was now attempting to act as a scab to the wound; such was the risk of using cloth as a bandage when in the field.

She needed to know the extent of the damage without checking so she looked upon the tear covered face of Naruto. Sakura knew that the two of them had grown extremely close over the last two years, everyone knew how Hinata felt about Naruto, but she had begun to suspect that the blonde haired, blue eyed young man in front of her reciprocated those feelings. Now there were no doubts in her mind about his feelings for the fallen Hyuga as she looked upon him.

Quickly snapping out of her own thoughts she questioned Naruto, "What is the extent of the wound?" she asked as she began a general healing jutsu that would help stabilize Hinata.

He had been staring into Hinata's eyes whispering incoherently.

"Naruto!"

When he looked up at her startled by her shout she felt a flash of pain in her chest for him.

"The wound, how bad is it? I need to know."

His eyes widened as though he'd been hit with an electrical shock bringing him back to life. "She was hit with some jutsu that has left a hole in her stomach, three inches across."

Sakura winced upon hearing this, "Is it through and through?"

When Naruto could only stare at her as though she'd spoken a second language she had to take a deep breath to settle the roiling nerves of her own stomach. "Does the wound go straight through her Naruto; is there a similar wound on her back?"

Shaking his head slightly he responded, "Uh, no I-I don't know. I didn't check."

Nodding, "Okay here's what we're going to do, I need you to grip her shoulders and gently roll her towards you so I can check. Can you do that?"

"Yeah," he placed his hands on Hinata's shoulders and winced as he saw her mouth open on a silent cry of pain when he lifted her a few inches.

"Okay, lower her down gently. Whatever struck her didn't cause a hole on her back. Naruto I'm going to keep her stable but we need more help."

Naruto began to tune her over, his only concern was making sure Hinata's eyes stayed open and she continued breathing. While he felt better knowing Sakura was there he refused to leave the wounded girl's side. Everything but Hinata seemed to fade away; he didn't notice Sakura becoming exhausted as she kept up a steady flow of chakra going into Hinata to keep her alive. He also didn't notice when his Baa-chan Tsunade arrived.

Tsunade could not get to Hinata's side as they were occupied by Naruto on one side cradling her face and staring into her eyes and Sakura on the other with her hands upon Hinata's chest to keep her alive. "Naruto, you need to move."

Sakura wearily looked up at her master and doggedly said, "It's no use he's oblivious to everything but her right now, I'll shift over slightly. It's bad Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade knelt quickly near Hinata's shoulder and began her own evaluation through the chakra flowing from her hands. Determining that Hinata was as stable as she could be while in the field, Tsunade began barking orders to prep the area for emergency field surgery, the young woman would not make it back to the village without it.

* * *

Looking back to that moment he still couldn't recall exactly what had happened after Hinata had opened her eyes once again. His memories of that moment were nonexistent other than what others had told him. The only memories he possessed were staring at Hinata as he continuously asked her to stay a while longer. His friends had told him that he'd refused to let go of her face as though it was his way of making sure she never looked away from him. He'd learned that Tsunade had become rather frustrated with him when they couldn't get him to budge as they performed emergency field surgery upon Hinata.

It was like his mind had simply blocked out everything but Hinata's gaze upon him. He remembered everything after they'd arrived at the hospital in Konoha. Hinata had finally appeared as though she'd be okay and he didn't have to fear her leaving him again. He'd begrudgingly allowed Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura to cart her away. He waited patiently for Baa-chan to tell him she was stable in a room. But before Tsunade could impart any other information he'd gone seeking out the woman he loved.

It hadn't taken much to find her room; there was still a lot of activity in and out of it. Plus one of the nurses took pity on him when he'd asked. Apparently still having the patient's blood on his hands was a great access card when combined with the obvious look of distress on his face.

He had barged into the room in his usual fashion. Skidding to a halt at seeing Hinata lying so still in the hospital bed with varying wires and tubes connected to her. With faltering steps he approached the side of her bed. He felt like his whole world had crashed around him. There lay his best friend who completely owned his heart and she had no idea. The thought that she'd almost died without knowing terrified him, for he knew it was a regret he never wanted to face again.

A nurse rushed in behind him halting quickly with a gasp, "Oh, I'm sorry I wasn't aware anyone was visiting. I just need to check her vitals and change her fluids."

Naruto could only nod slightly as he moved out of the nurse's way.

The nurse smiled wryly at Naruto, "You know it's never a good idea to see a pretty girl covered in blood, why don't you wash up?"

He glanced down recalling that he still hadn't washed his hands. He appeared startled as he raised his hands to examine the now dry, dark stain of blood upon them. Looking back up at Hinata's still sleeping form he hesitated to leave her side. He was terrified that with no one there she'd slip away.

The nurse gestured to the bathroom connected to the room. Seeing the look of fear cross his features, "I promise I'll wait till you get back before I leave, but you really should wash-up."

With a quick nod he immediately turned to do just that. Entering the bathroom he quickly reached out turning on the faucet, he didn't care what temperature he just wanted to hurry. But he paused watching the blood swirl around the sink as it washed away. It was a bit of a macabre sight that had him terrified and entranced at the same time. As the water finally ran clear, returning the bottom of the sink to its clear pristine white he finally soaped his hands. Rinsing them once again he stepped back into the room.

The nurse stood with a kind smile on her face near the door, her hands clasped in front of her. He attempted to smile at her in appreciation but he felt so out of touch with reality that he didn't think he'd managed it. "There's a call button near her right hand if she wakes or if you need anything. I'll let you stay with her because you obviously care for her a great deal. But my shift ends in a few hours and I doubt the other nurse will allow it."

He'd heard every word but as he returned to Hinata's side and took a seat there he simply couldn't bother to give the nurse anymore attention. Hinata looked perfect except for the paleness of her skin due to blood loss. He smiled at her as he took one of her hands into his own resting his chin atop his opposite hand.

Naruto awoke abruptly, unsure of what had awoken him or when he'd succumbed to fatigue. Surveying the room he could see no obvious reason for his sudden state of consciousness. Then he heard it, a sound so faint as to almost be non-existent. Looking to Hinata in fear he heard it again a soft whimper as the muscles of her body twitched. He didn't want her movements to become too fretful and risk damaging her injury further. Squeezing her hand he still clasped in his own while running the knuckles of his other over her cheeks he began to reassure her quietly.

"Shh, it's alright Hinata you're safe now. I'm right here."

He had been unsure of what to say to reassure someone who was terrified or in pain even in sleep. He'd never had a mother figure to do such a thing for him or anyone for that matter every time he had woken from a nightmare as a child. But in the last two years when upset Hinata had always been there for him reassuring him that everything would work out. So he strove to do that for her now.

Amazingly whatever he was doing must've been right for her movements stilled as she grew silent again. Her head turned towards the sound of his voice and while he waited anxiously to see if she would awaken he felt disappointment when she did not. He resigned himself to watching over her, unsure what to do while listening to the beeps and pings of the various machines. So he talked to her about nothing and everything. He talked to her about anything just to keep his mind from wandering back to that horrific memory of her fading away from him.

Hours passed as he refused to leave her side and the nurses all began to take pity on him. Bringing him food sometimes from Ichiraku's and only asking him to leave when Hinata's wound was being checked. They'd even leave the door cracked open a couple of inches so he'd hear if she awoke. Thirty hours had passed since they'd arrived at the hospital, though Naruto couldn't have told anyone that if they'd asked. All he knew was he'd wait as long as he had to for her to wake up.

Tsunade had claimed it was natural for her to rest after such a trauma to the mind and body. They claimed there had been an odd residual chakra flowing through Hinata when they'd performed emergency surgery. Naruto didn't know nor care what they were talking about till Tsunade provided an interesting hypothesis. She believed Naruto had somehow used the Kyubi's chakra to aid Hinata's recovery before Sakura arrived.

He didn't tell them that Hinata had died; though the longer it took her to wake the more he worried that he should have. Perhaps there was something wrong Tsunade hadn't caught because he hadn't shared that vital information. He didn't know why he hadn't told anyone. His only explanation was that his sole concentration remained on Hinata and he honestly felt incapable of conversing with anyone other than the unconscious young woman.

* * *

Hinata awoke feeling as though her entire body was bruised, her abdomen felt as though it were on fire. Blinking, she opened her eyes, even they hurt, and she recognized that she was in a hospital room. Lots of machines were attached to her and the best sight of all Naruto sat in a chair beside her bed slumped over asleep. His head rested on the narrow edge of the bed, it looked as though the slightest shift of the bed would send him crashing face first into the floor. She smiled slightly at this reaching out slowly and weakly she ran her fingers through his hair. Something she'd begun doing many months ago while spending time at his apartment and he'd always seemed to enjoy it.

She sat there staring around the room, trying to take a mental inventory of her injuries as memories rushed back to her of the mission, the fight, and Naruto. She remembered him sitting over her with terror in his eyes as he tried desperately to keep her conscious. Looking down at him she watched as the muscles in his face began to twitch signaling that he would wake soon.

Something was in his hair, thinking it was a bug he reached up without opening his eyes to swat it away only to catch a hand. Jerking upright and maintaining his grip on the hand he was surprised to see it was attached to a wide-eyed Hinata. His grip tightened for a second in relief, as felt warmth rush through him at the sight of those pale eyes and the soft smile upon her lips.

"Hinata," he whispered reverently.

It was then when she tried to respond to him that she realized how dry her throat was. With a frown she glanced towards a water pitcher and glass, the hand he wasn't holding rose a few inches. Naruto followed her gaze then immediately released her hand to prepare a small glass of water. Cradling the back of her head with one hand he helped her sip slowly at the water.

Neither one could stop staring into the other's eyes. Hinata nodded slightly indicating she was done with the water and he laid her head down returning the cup to the table next to her bed. He finally smiled at her as his eyes took in every feature of her face for the one billionth time it seemed.

"You really scared me Hinata-chan," he admitted softly.

"I'm sorry," Hinata's response was spoken more softly.

He nodded again before jerking upright as though he had a sudden realization. "Oh I have to go get Baa-chan, she wanted to know as soon as you woke. I'll be right back."

As he rose to leave her side she reached out gripping his arm with more strength than she'd previously displayed. When he looked into her eyes once more she shook her head no, "Stay a while?"

There was so much meaning within that one small question. He knew without a doubt that she'd heard him making that request of her, he felt it in his gut. He chuckled slightly and nodded, "Of course."

He resumed his seat clutching her hand between his once more, as he began to ramble on about nothing in particular. She simply laid there enjoying the sound of his voice, unwilling to let her eyes close again despite the soul deep exhaustion she felt.

They remained that way for several more hours before a nurse came in to check Hinata's vitals once more. She began rushing around frantically when she saw Hyuga heiress was awake, sending word to Tsunade-sama.

Tsunade finally managed, with Hinata's help, to convince Naruto to leave the hospital for a much needed shower and sleep. Though he didn't leave before promising Hinata he'd return as soon as possible. Tsunade shook her head with a rueful smile as she knew the young man would rush home shower and then return here. It was obvious to everyone how deeply the emotions between these two ran. Turning her attention back to her patient she informed Hinata of the details of her injury and what her recovery would entail before taking her leave.

That night Naruto slept once again in the chair next to Hinata. Tsunade had been right he'd barely taken enough time to shower before he'd immediately returned to Hinata's side. This is where he continued to stay for the three weeks it took for her to be released from the hospital.

Walking her home the evening of her release from the hospital Naruto watched her closely for any signs of strain. He felt like a nervous wreck and she was so patient with him, always smiling sweetly while reassuring him she was fine. Approaching the gates to the Hyuga compound Hinata turned to hug him and tell him bye but was taken by surprise.

As soon as he had her securely in his arms Naruto leaned down to lightly brush his lips across hers. The sweet caress of lips sent such a flood of emotion through him that he returned his lips to hers for a more lingering caress. When he finally raised his head severing the connection he stared into her dazed pale eyes.

Her hands clung to his shoulders as she stared up at him. On a breathless whisper she asked, "Why-why did you do that?" It was the only thought she was able to voice, as any other was lost to her in the aftermath of his kiss.

In a strong and sure voice he responded, "Because I knew if I didn't kiss you right now I'd probably regret it for the rest of my life."

Her breath rushed out on an exhaled gasp, she felt as though her heart had stopped. Before she could respond, he placed his fingers under her chin tilting her head up for one more quick brush of lips. Pulling away he smiled with warmth in his eyes she couldn't quite identify. "Goodnight Hinata," he whispered in a low murmur before turning to leave.

She could do nothing more than stand there watching him walk away with a bounce to his step while she felt like passing out right in front of her family's compound. Her confidence in his presence had grown in leaps and bounds over the two years they'd become best friends. She no longer stuttered, she rarely blushed and she never fainted anymore. Yet there she stood watching her vision tunnel as she felt her body begin to sway.

"Hinata-sama, are you alright?"

Like a splash of cold water to her face Hinata shook off the impending faint to turn wide eyes to Ko. A deep blush spread across her cheeks as with a smile she nodded and walked through the gates. She was in shock that he had kissed her and happy that her dream had finally come true.

Halting mid-step Hinata was suddenly bombarded with questions and doubts. _What does that kiss mean? Are we dating? Is he in love with me?_ Chewing her thumbnail with a crease of worry between her eyebrows, she continued to her room.

* * *

The next morning Hinata left early to begin the process of rebuilding her strength. While her wound was healed the Hokage-sama had insisted that Hinata follow certain restrictions regarding her training. She'd insisted that Hinata start a light regimen then slowly build back up to the amount and intensity of training she'd once partook in.

En route to the training grounds Hinata was still pondering the kiss she'd shared with Naruto. Hanabi had tried to tell her she was over-thinking the situation, that she should 'just go with it', but that wasn't Hinata's way. Traversing through the village that morning she saw a flash of unmistakable orange out of the corner of her eye. She felt the need to confront him about the kiss despite the 'elephants stampeding through her stomach' feeling that had her in its grips. Turning in the direction she'd spied the orange of his jumpsuit she felt frozen in her tracks.

There he stood a blush upon his face; smiling and talking to a young woman Hinata had never seen before. She watched as he laughed at something the woman said and began rubbing the back of his head. Jealousy was an ugly emotion that Hinata did not like feeling, especially when she believed she had no right to feel that way. She was his friend, perhaps his best friend, for all she knew the kiss was a fluke.

Naruto glanced away from the woman named Josei that he'd accidentally bumped into while on his way to the Hyuga compound. After apologizing and making sure she was alright the woman had begun trying to flirt with him. While he felt flattered, Naruto wanted nothing more than to say farewell to Josei and continue on his way. He didn't want to be rude but he was trying desperately to find a polite way to end the conversation.

Glancing up he caught sight of shining black hair and pale eyes as Hinata stood ten feet away. The expression on her face was one he was unfamiliar with but knew he didn't like seeing it. She appeared upset and he worried what could be wrong.

Finally uncaring how rude he appeared Naruto said, "Excuse me," quickly rushing to Hinata's side.

He tried smiling at her as he approached but she didn't return his smile at first. The one she finally bestowed upon him was tight and didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Hinata, what's wrong?"

She shook her head slightly as she prepared to lie and claim nothing was wrong. But she had never lied to him before and refused to do so now. "I'm just feeling something I have no right to feel."

When he stared at her in confusion waiting for her to clarify her statement, she admitted the truth.

She wasn't proud of the way she'd felt upon seeing him smiling at a mysterious woman. Speaking a low shame filled voice she begrudgingly admitted, "I felt jealous, when I have no right to be. I have no claim on you and therefore no right to feel the way I did." Hinata turned to walk away deciding it best to leave before she did something else to embarrass herself. She was stopped by a hand gripping her upper arm.

Naruto turned her to face him, gently pulling her against him as he stared into her eyes completely serious. His hands rose to slide around her back resting just below her shoulder blades.

"You are the only person who has a claim on me, Hinata-chan. You have every right to feel any way you wish."

Using his hands that rested upon her back he pulled her even closer to claim her lips. What started out as a simple kiss to comfort her and express what he couldn't quite put into words quickly evolved as her tongue timidly stroked his lips. He gasped his surprise against her mouth as she quickly took advantage to deepen the kiss.

Hinata wasn't sure what had prompted her to touch her tongue to his lips or what led her to deepen the kiss. She seemed to be reacting out of instinct and emotion.

Finally separating to gasp in much needed air, she tried to bring some levity to the situation. Chuckling a little in a breathless voice she asked, "So is that your clever way of telling me we're dating?"

Naruto began to chuckle before resting his forehead against hers. Staring into her eyes with a smile on his face he said, "Yeah it is, did it work?"

Hinata lifted her forehead from his her smile fading she looked completely serious. "No, it didn't."

He sputtered in surprise before she burst out laughing pulling him closer to rest her head against his chest. Naruto was so caught off guard it took a second for his arms to tighten around her as he felt the love in his chest swell for the woman he held.

* * *

Eight Months Later

Word spread through the village like wildfire that they were dating and everyone seemed happy for the young couple.

They were happy together. Naruto had never believed he could be completely happy or feel truly satisfied with his life. Hinata had proven him wrong by giving him feelings of safety, fulfillment and love. They'd been dating for eight months with no real conflicts between them. Hinata had begun occasionally spending the night with him after four months of dating. A fact that had not gone over well with one Hiashi Hyuga, the man respected Naruto and knew he cared for his daughter. But there were some limits to a father's approval when it came to his daughter. This is why Hinata would sneak away from the compound. She would claim to have early morning training sessions to explain her absence from her bedroom in the mornings.

Hiashi was no fool he knew where his daughter really was, but he chose to play along with the ruse. He feared the extremes his daughter would go to in an attempt to stay close to Naruto, if he forbade her from him or called her on the lies. He just prayed they were careful to prevent certain things from resulting after spending a night together. He prayed they used some form of birth control.

Surprisingly, despite having dated for several months and Hinata spending most nights with Naruto their relationship had not progressed physically as some believed. Oh they definitely made out with heavy groping and petting sessions. But they had not yet taken that step to go any further. Both wanted to, desperately, in fact it was becoming more and more difficult stop when their passions did ignite. Hinata always stopped things before they went too far, as much as she loved him she simply couldn't cross that threshold with him yet. She was waiting for something that she was beginning to fear would never come.

Hinata had confessed the depth of her feelings for Naruto only a short time into their relationship. But for some reason Naruto had yet to reciprocate those feelings verbally. She wanted to believe that he loved her but he had not once told her so. Though when he held her, kissed her and caressed her skin she swore she could feel his love for her. She wasn't a mind-reader. She needed to hear those words to know for certain that he truly loved her as much as she loved him. Anytime she said 'I love you' he would smile so sweetly at her then pull her closer or kiss her. She didn't know if this was his way of saying 'I love you too' or of avoiding saying it entirely.

Finally she'd simply had enough. Her heart could no longer take the uncertainty. She felt she'd been very patient giving him time, not rushing him to admitting something he may not feel.

So one evening after cleaning up from the dinner she had prepared for them. She abruptly threw a towel onto the counter in the kitchen and turned to him, "I love you Naruto, very much."

He stood a couple of feet away and his head jerked up at her proclamation a gentle smile on his face. "I know," he said as he slowly began to approach her intending to share a kiss. He was stopped by her upraised hand. Raising an eyebrow in confusion he waited for her to continue.

"That's the problem Naruto. I know I love you; you know I love you. But what isn't known is if you love me."

He opened his mouth to argue but she continued on, not allowing him to say anything.

"I know we have only been dating for eight months and I have tried not to push you for something you may not feel. But I can't stay with you if you don't feel the same. My heart simply can't take it. Do you love me?"

She waited with her heart in her eyes for him to say something, but he stood there frozen simply staring at her. She felt as though her heart crashed to the floor and with a deep sigh she struggled to fight back the tears. Urging herself into motion she moved around him exiting the kitchen, heading towards the front door to collect her sandals and leave.

Naruto stood there in shock at her words. He loved her, he knew he loved her. Though thinking back over the last eight months he realized she was right, he'd never told her how he felt. _Oh Kami, how I must have hurt her when I never told her._ So lost in thoughts of regret he failed to notice her moving towards the living room. When he heard the doorknob turn he was spurred into motion. Fearing he'd lose her forever if she stepped through that door he rushed to catch her.

He caught her by the wrist pulling her back into the apartment and shutting the door. When he looked at her face he saw the tears falling from her eyes and a part of his heart cracked. He pulled her chest against his and cradling her face he kissed her with a passion he'd never displayed before. It was born of the fear of losing her and the outpouring of love he truly felt for her.

Momentarily stunned by his kiss Hinata forgot the point she'd been trying to make. But when their lips parted for a second she felt anger with herself for allowing him to distract her. Pressing her hands to his chest she shoved against him but only managed to separate them by a handful of inches.

"You can't do this Naruto," she whispered fiercely, "You can't just kiss me and expect it to be alright."

Looking deep into her eyes he could barely get out one word, "Stay," he rasped out of a throat that felt as though it was closing up.

Laughing mockingly with tears in her voice she asked, "A while? I don't think so, not this time Naruto."

Naruto felt a wall inside his mind come crashing down with a growl he responded, "Forever."

Hinata looked up at him in shock, but he continued to surprise her.

"I have never loved anyone else but you. Kami Hinata, I've loved you for so long now I can't even remember a time when I didn't. I don't want to remember it because nothing can compare to the time that I've spent with you and being loved by you."

She stood there in shock as he was finally saying all the things she had desperately yearned to hear. "Naruto, I…"

"I am so sorry Hinata, for not telling you sooner. Hell for not telling you everyday we've been together. I can only imagine how much I've hurt you and for that I will never forgive myself. I don't deserve it, but will you stay with me?"

Taking a deep breath he clarified that statement not caring about the tears that he knew she saw in his eyes, "Will you…marry me Hinata-chan?"

Her eyes widened as even more tears fell. She had only wanted to know if he loved her, this was not what she had expected. Hinata knew what her answer was and she didn't hesitate to tell him. Clasping his face in her hands she looked him deep in the eyes, "Yes, Naruto I will. I'll stay forever."

Pulling him down, she claimed his lips this time, taking him by surprise with not only her answer but the fervency of her kiss. Her hands drifted from his face to wrap tightly around his neck as he pulled her chest even tighter against him.

Naruto had never felt such joy except for the first time he'd kissed her that night eight months ago outside her family's compound. Emotion bubbled up inside of him as he deepened the kiss. The woman he loved was in his arms, the woman that would become his wife. That thought had him lifting her off her feet and marching towards the bedroom, never once halting his kiss.

Hinata's feet touched the ground again next to the bed as his lips left hers to travel along her jawbone kissing and nibbling down to her ear. She tilted her head to the side as she clung to his shoulders. She whispered his name as his hands slid under her shirt to caress the skin of her back. She trailed her hands into his hair gripping it gently in need of an anchor in the midst of the fire he was igniting inside of her. They'd been this far, and father, before but this time was different.

When her hands drifted down his back, her nails lightly scraping over the material of his shirt he threw his head back on a groan. He loved the way she made him feel. Her hands reached the waist of his pants and slid under his shirt caressing every inch of his skin she could reach as she raised his shirt up.

Naruto brought his lips back to hers, his tongue delving into her mouth unable to get enough of her kiss.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips when they separated for a breath.

She quickly tugged his shirt up forcing him to release her only long enough to remove it. Her hands seemed to be everywhere on him at once, with no real direction or control they seemed to have a mind of their own.

He backed her up until her knees pressed against the edge of the bed and she lost her balance falling onto her back. He followed her down, leaning over her with his weight braced upon his arms. Urging her higher up on the bed he pressed his face to the bend of her neck and shoulder to nip at the sensitive skin. "Kami Hinata, I need these clothes off of you," he rasped.

No sooner had he spoken than she found herself naked. He had practically torn her clothes from her body in an effort to reveal more of her soft skin to him. His kisses traveled along her collarbone and down further to press a light kiss between her breasts. This sent shivers racing down her spine as she felt her stomach clench. She wanted him so badly, she only felt slightly nervous. Their many evenings spend teasing and touching had increased her desire for him while decreasing some of her nervousness. They had learned where to touch and what pleased each other in preparation for this moment.

Her back arched off of the bed as his lips encased her nipple, she could do nothing more than gasp his name and clench her hands in his hair. The sensation was incredible as always, when his hands trailed down her sides to begin caressing her thighs slowly traveling up towards their apex. With only the slightest brush of his fingers across her core she felt unhinged. Naruto ran his fingers around her core before slowly inserting one finger. Thrusting it in and out of her he used his thumb to rub the bundle of nerves in a rhythm that had her gasping and pleading. He continued to tease her inserting a second finger as his hips pressed her thighs further apart, it wasn't until that moment that she realized he still wore his pants.

When she stilled beneath him Naruto worried he'd done something wrong. Lifting his mouth from her breast he looked at her questioningly.

"You are overdressed, don't you think."

He chuckled huskily before rolling them over so she straddled his hips, "Then perhaps you should do something to change that."

Smiling as she leaned down to him she whispered, "You read my mind," before kissing him. He gripped the back of her head in one hand and her hip in the other. She rocked against him and he inhaled on a hiss against her lips. His hand gripping her hip tightened as he couldn't help guiding her to move again.

Hinata loved this man so much and she couldn't touch him enough. Her lips left his to kiss a path down his neck and chest. She felt his entire body tighten as she began to kiss across his stomach. She sat up, as he chuckled and called her a tease, to begin undoing the fastenings of his pants. As she parted the material of his pants and began to pull them down she placed light kisses gentling scraping her teeth over each of his hip bones. This caused him to gasp as his hips involuntarily arched trying to get more of her touch.

Finally removing his pants she straddled his hips again but he wrapped his arms around her to roll them once again. "Have you had your fun?" he asked.

Smiling coyly up at him while lightly panting she answered, "No. I haven't had you yet."

He gripped one of her thighs just above her knee raising it up along his hips as he rocked against her allowing his manhood to slide over her. Her fingers clenched on his lower back as she wrapped her other leg around him.

"Naruto, please…"

He nodded before leaning down to kiss her lips as he slid inside of her for the first time. Moving as slowly as he could he felt he would shatter from the sheer pleasure of it. The urge to thrust deep and hard was tearing him apart but he refused to hurt her their first time together. He felt the resistance of her body and looked into her eyes asking without a word. She nodded to him pulling him in for another kiss as he thrust quickly past the resistance. She moaned into his mouth, though he wasn't sure if it was from pain or pleasure as he stilled his movements.

Looking up at him she saw his jaw clench as sweat coated his face from the strain. It had hurt slightly but not enough for her to regret this moment or ask him to stop. She saw a look of worry in his eyes so she smiled up at him rocking her hips against him gently urging him to continue.

His eyes closed tightly at the feeling of her moving against him, "Hinata love, you have to stop…I don't want to hurt you."

She moved again raising her head to gently bite the side of his neck whispering into his ear, "The only way you'll hurt me is if you don't start moving."

Naruto felt his control shatter as he began to move inside her groaning as he moved slowly at first only to begin speeding up as he struggled to please her. With every thrust his pelvis ground against her sending a lick of heat through her body. Gasps of "I love you" and each other's names filled the room as her body tightened impossibly further around him as she reached completion sending him crashing into his own.

Moments passed with his face buried in her neck, struggling to gather the strength to move. Finally lifting himself up onto his elbows he stared down into the love filled smiling face of his fiancé. "Are you alright?"

Nodding tiredly she could only mumble, "mm-hmm."

Separating himself from her was a torturous pleasure as he felt the slide of her against him but hated to leave the warmth of her body. Moving to lie next to her he pulled her against him clasping her tightly in his arms as they both drifted off to a satisfied sleep.

To them their lives together officially began that night. He didn't need a wedding ceremony to begin calling her his wife. But the ceremony they had was beautiful with friends and family present to congratulate them and wish them well in their life together.

That night after getting settled into their new home and making love several times Naruto whispered in his wife's ear, "I can't tell you how grateful I am that you always agreed to stay with me."


End file.
